


Strangers on a Plane

by Kswan



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: (I wish), F/F, Just a little one shot I wrote bored on my flight the other day, no this didn't have this happen to me, tw: anxiety, tw: flight anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-20 19:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4798937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kswan/pseuds/Kswan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura and Carmilla hate flying, they help each other get through it without having a panic attack. </p>
<p>Wrote this on a plane when I was bored, enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Flying. You hate it. But your job insists on it, being a journalist, mostly means travelling all over the world. Which is the only part of the job you don't enjoy.

You're in London. You've been reporting on the Queen's latest landmark, the longest reigning monarch in Britain. It wasn't really hard hitting journalism but sometimes it's nice to report on something light.

You're flying from Heathrow back to New York. You've gotten to the airport far too early and you've been drinking coffee for 5 hours straight and peed about a million times. You managed to secure a window seat, which makes you feel marginally better. Your leg is shaking involuntarily, even after several attempts to stop it.

You're convinced you've gotten away with having the aisle to yourself, when a woman sits in the seat next to yours. Dammit. She smiles politely and you smile back, then stare out the window and try to focus on your breathing.

"Hey, are you ok there cupcake?" Her concern takes you by surprise. Every time you've flown, your fellow passengers have ignored your visible anxiety signs. But this woman, beautiful woman if you're honest, has noticed and even gone the distance as to ask you if you were ok. You realise you're staring at her and you try to form some words.

"Who me? Yeah cool as a cucumber." Ok, that was not convincing at all. That was terrible. She raises her eyebrows at you and leans in slightly.

"Yeah, I'm not buying that. I'm guessing flying isn't your favourite thing?" You nod. There's something relaxing about her presence. You realise your breathing has evened out without you even trying. Something in her voice has seemed to calm you a little already.

"I'm nervous too. I'm just better at hiding it than you." You both laugh when the plane starts to jolt into movement. You grip the arm rest and your breathing starts to become erratic again.

"Whoa, ok. Cupcake, it's going to be ok. We're just lining up for the runway. Breathe cutie." You look at her desperately, still not able to get your breathing under control. She senses the urgency of the situation and she suddenly grabs your hands and places them on her ribs.

"You feel that?" You nod, shocked and confused about the current situation. "Try and copy my breathing pattern, don't focus on anything else. Just feel me breathing and do the same." Her hands are on top of yours and her thumb starts to stroke your knuckles gently. Both actions start to take effect and you calm down drastically in the space of minutes.

"Thank you." You gasp out, maintaining an intense eye contact with the beautiful stranger. She smiles slightly and gives you a small nod. She lifts your hands off of her ribs and places them on your lap. She starts to take her hands away when you instinctively reach out for them, craving their comfort.

"Please can you keep holding my hands? Sorry, it's just. It was nice. Comforting." She lets out a small chuckle.

"That's ok. I do this with all my fellow passengers." You both laugh again, a wave of comfort rushing over you.

"I'm Laura by the way." You offer.

"Carmilla." You liked the sound of it. Carmilla, an unusual name, but it suited her. Somehow you couldn't imagine her having a different name, which is strange because you've just met her.

As the plane started to gain speed rapidly, you both grip each other's hands and look forward. You don't exchange any words, because you don't need to. If you could help each other through the next minute, until you're up in the air, you'd be fine.

You don't loosen your grip until the seat belt sign is switched off. You release each other's hands and rub them on your legs, because to be honest, they were disgustingly sweaty. But neither of you cared and you both laughed it off.

"So Laura," wow you liked the way your name sounded in her smooth voice, "why are we doing this to ourselves? What were you doing in London?"

"Oh I'm a journalist, I was covering a story on the Queen." Carmilla nods, looking genuinely interested in what you had to say. "So I'm just going back to New York, to the office. What about you?

"Oh, I was a guest lecturer at a University."

"Wow. Might I have heard of it?"

"Just a place called Cambridge." Your jaw drops immediately.

"What?!"

"I might be one of the world's leading professors in philosophy at the moment."

"WHAT?!" You whisper shout, trying not to attract too much attention. "How are you saying that like your telling me what the weathers like today?" She shrugs noncommittally and you just stare at her gaped mouth.

As the flight continued you get to know your flight companion a little better. You mostly distracted each other from the fact you were in a metal can flying hurtling through air.

You play several rounds of 20 questions, until Carmilla gets grumpy about losing too many times. You even play a few rounds of thumb wars, until you get grumpy about losing too many times.

When you start to fall asleep, you feel your head slowly coming to rest on Carmilla's shoulder, but you were too tired to care and she didn't put up any protest. You wake up a few hours later, with Carmilla's head resting on yours and your hands linked together in the center of you both. You daren't move, not wanting to wake Carmilla, instead you close your eyes again and think about how much you love Carmilla's company.

You wake up again, this time Carmilla moves her head from yours. The captain's voice comes on over the loud speakers

"We are now going to start of decent into New York, we'll be wheels down in about 10 minutes folks!" His cheery tone crackles away and you look at Carmilla with a sort of dread. You both know what's coming and you both know you're not gonna like it. Your hands find each other's, a habit now even it will be a short lived one. You look at Carmilla, for some sort of reassurance, but you don't find it. Instead you find straight up fear.

"Sorry cupcake, this is my least favourite bit." Her hand squeezes yours as the plane bumps around.

"Don't apologise. We'll get through it. Hey Carm, look at me." Her back was as straight as a plank of wood and her face had drained of colour. You wiggle a hand free from her iron grip. You don't know where you've gained the courage, maybe it's because you know she needs you. She got you through take off, now it's time to return the favour. You take your free hand and you turn Carmilla's head to face you.

You can sense that you're minutes, if not seconds, till the wheels touchdown. Carmilla's nails are digging into the hand she's taken prisoner from you. You need to do something drastic. Something that will totally distract her from what's happening. Suddenly, before you can overthink anything, you lean in and capture her lips into a bruising kiss. Just as your lips meet, the wheels meet the ground. Carmilla's hands have found the courage to leave yours and hold your cheeks to prolong the kiss. You only break when the captain's voice comes on and says something about the cabin crew.

"Wow, I wish all my flights ended like that." Carmilla undoes her seatbelt and rises putting her jacket on.

"Are you coming Laura?" She holds out a hand for you to take. You look up at her face, she's giving you a sweet shy smile, which you've not seen yet. You decide you like it and place your hand in hers.

Best flight ever.


	2. Back to Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I wrote a sequel because flights are boring. 
> 
> Basically after the flight, Laura doesn't want to say goodbye to Carmilla...

Carmilla is leading you through the airport towards the arrivals. Every so often she'll look back and smile at you. Every time she does you get butterflies in your stomach. You've never met anyone who could do that with just a smile.

Occasionally you'd match her speed and walk beside her. Back in her comfort zone, she's confident and flirty. A side you hadn't seen before now, but you assume is her usual self. Any time you have to let go of her hand, she swiftly makes sure that they're joined again at the next possible opportunity.

You're infatuated with her. How long this will last it's uncertain. You want it to last as long as possible, but you're nearing the exit.

"Where are you going after this?" You splutter, stopping in your tracks. Your fears of ever being apart from her growing by the second. She turns to you and raises an eyebrow.

"Where do you want me to go?" She has this low rasp to her voice, which puts your brain into overdrive. Damn she's hot.

"Oh." She's caught you off guard with that low gaze. "Um. I'm heading to the office then to my apartment."

"Where's your offices?" The rasp has gone but the low tone is here to stay.

"Midtown. My apartment is a few blocks from the offices. Where are you going?" For a reason unknown to you, your voice has taken on a quiet, hushed tone. Are you nervous? What's your aim here Hollis? Do you really want this stranger to come to your apartment? Well yes, of course. But should she?

"Cupcake?" You shake your head and refocus your eyes onto Carmilla.

"Sorry what?"

"I asked you if you wanted to grab dinner tonight?" Carmilla is staring at you kinda intensely. Her hand reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. Her touch leaving a tingling trail on your cheek.

"Dinner? Yeah I'd love to!" Carmilla seems relieved almost and you just beam at her, showing your excitement at the prospect of a date. Wait. Is it a date?

"It's a date then." Carmilla smiles back at you and takes your hand again. You let out a breath. Thank god, it's a date.

You start walking towards the taxi rank. You both decided it would probably be better if you got a taxi together. You grab one fairly quickly and pile in.

Carmilla tells the driver her address and you tell him the address of your office building. He tells you that he'll go to the second address first and starts the cab.

Carmilla takes your phone and writes a note in your phone. She hides the phone whenever you try and read what she's typing and puts a hand over your face every time.

"Ok cupcake. Don't read this until you get out the cab, ok?" She raises her eyebrows, she clearly knows you very well despite your short time together.

"Ok." You sulk, pulling a face like a 5 year old. Carmilla leans in and kisses you. Whispering "It'll be worth it," against your lips. It brings a smile to your face again.

"Anyway, it's just the address and my number," she winks, "in case you get lost of course. So 7 o'clock? Does that sound good?"

She locks your phone and hands it back to you. You nod and agree, 7 was fine. "We're here." The cab driver looking at you via the rearview mirror. You look out of the window, seeing your office building. You sigh at the reality of leaving your Carmilla bubble.

You shove some dollar bills towards the driver and turn back to Carmilla.

"See you later cupcake." She smiles at you, there's those butterflies again. Both of your hands fly to her face and you lean in for a very non pg 13 kiss.

"Ladies, the meters running." The driver is peering at you both via the mirror. You break from Carmilla and give him an apologetic look.

You glance back at Carmilla and she looks taken aback by your sudden passion. You wink at her playfully, "See you later Carm," and leave the cab.

Unlocking your phone as soon as the cab leaves, you open your notes.

'Laura, I'm so glad I met you. I've never met anyone like you in my life. I hope you feel the same. Dinner at 7 at 74th street. If you're still interested, here's my number....'

Wait. You read it again. And once more. You recognise that address. You think long and hard until finally it clicks.

You select the number and select message.

'So we're having dinner at your apartment?'

The three little bubbles appear and your heart skips a beat.

'It's gonna be the best damn meal you've ever had. See you at 7 cupcake x'

You lock your phone again and head into the building. You're smiling like an absolutely idiot, but you don't care. You've got a date with Carmilla, who else could say that?

**Author's Note:**

> As always I'm on Tumblr at netflixandduvets and I'll chat in the comments too <3


End file.
